Made to Order: 8-page menu at Los Tres Mayas

For a couple of months now, we’ve been ready to visit the newly opened Los Tres Mayas on the top of the hump on Ashland Road. Brothers Luis and Jesus Davalos and their wives joined forces to form a restaurant that is both authentic Mexican, but also introduces items that appeal to everyone, such as shrimp platters, fish and chips and even a ribeye steak dinner.

The interior, like their other location, El Campestre, is colorful, cozy and inviting. Even though it was a late lunch, we looked around and the place was steadily gathering customers around 3 p.m. Not only will the restaurant get full with increasing popularity, but your belly will be full, too, with value-added giant plates of entrees, which easily could be shared, for less than $9.

The menu boasts roughly eight pages to venture through, with a seemingly endless variety of options. One section that will keep vegetarians more than happy has an “A to F” list of offerings with chulupas, chile poblano, bean burritos and quesadilla as mainstays.

The fajitas sizzle with popularity as Jesus indicated with the barbecue chicken melt as our pick. Both Jon and Heather, our newbie taste-testers, were mesmerized as this Tex-Mex offering was tender, sweet and had subtle spice all to fill warm tortillas.

Andrea was giving her thumbs up and always is impressed with the natural guacamole that tasted perfect on her chips.

Heather ordered margaritas both on the rocks and frozen for her and Jon to enjoy with dinner, while I tried the mango version. Each was outstanding, but we do prefer “on the rocks” version.

Jesus and I had talked about soups, and although we didn’t try one, they make a stellar house chili with shredded chicken, crispy tortillas, rice and pico de gallo atop.

That gave me ideas for my students about a chili cook-off on Oct. 4 in Shelby, so we’d love to gather some extra challengers (we won all three divisions).

We were able to taste a chicken quesadilla piled with cheese, sour cream and pico; it was perfectly crisped outside and tender within.

We could have stopped at our first two dishes as we cried mercy, but on came the “Super Burrito,” a 12-inch fully stuffed vessel of beef and chicken, topped with lettuce, tomato, sour cream and good-sized pieces of avocado. It’s accompanied by refried beans and rice to complete the platter of burrito bliss.

What we found was an abundance of shrimp and seafood specials from fajita camarones to our next choice, seafood enchiladas. I love the taste of tomatillos, so anything with green sauce catches my eye. The enchiladas had shrimp, scallops and crab meat nestled inside three of them, while doused with that verde, sour cream, rice and vegetables. Not only seasoned well, but we all agreed the enchiladas were silky, creamy and my personal pick of the menu.

Andrea saw the aqua de horchata, which sounded interesting for a non-alcoholic drink. It is basically a rice and milk drink enhanced by what is called chufa nuts, or by almonds. The previous is less common, and is actually a tuber growing beneath a leafy plant, sometimes considered a weed. When soaked and ground, it can be transformed into an iced beverage. When combined with vanilla, sugar and cinnamon, it brings a fragrant, kind of rice pudding, taste to the mouth. Horchata is definitely a worthwhile drink to sample among friends.

The menu had some attractive chicken dishes, with pollo primavera featuring mushrooms, spinach and melted cheese; chori pollo with marinated breasts, chorizo and cheese; or the pollo poblano with a slight zip. Although we didn’t take home tamales, they are a must at either location, filled with pork and red sauce.

Salads at Los Tres Mayas include three variations of taco salad, the house salad with grilled chicken or steak, or the la fresca salad with romaine, spinach, chicken breast strips, and an avocado ranch dressing. If you’re in the mood for football and a little beer, they have a few options: Dos Equis, Corona, Tecate, Modela, Pacifica and Bohemian varieties.

As we rounded out the night, we needed a little something sweet, although we were totally full. A Xango fried cheesecake took care of our unified sweet tooth with both caramel and chocolate sauces on standby. The tortilla-wrapped cheesecake had a crispy shell and creamy interior that was decoratively displayed.

Los Tres Mayas serves certified Angus beef with their tacos de carne asada, steak and peppers, or their giant ribeye with jumbo shrimp.

You’ll notice that although this restaurant is not as big as the Fourth Street version, you’ll get main Americanized options only offered here. For the Madison area, it’s the perfect addition to bring a little spiciness to the neighborhood. You can call 419-589-0017 or visit them at their Facebook page for specials and coming events.